Conscience and Crown

Learning that Jesus want to be king of our hearts

01/06/2019

Matthew 2:1-12 When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country by another way.

Do you feel a little “churched out” lately? If you’ve been a good Catholic, you will have attended Mass five times in the last 15 days! That would be like a world record! That reminds me of that old joke about the poor one dollar bill. One day a hundred dollar bill and a one dollar bill were talking about where they had been. The hundred dollar bill boasted: “I’ve been all over the world. I’ve enjoyed cruise ships and beach-side resorts. I’ve gambled in casinos in every continent. Last year I attended the World Series, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup and Masters Golf Tournament. It was a great year. Where have you been lately?” The dollar bill dejectedly said: “Church, church, church.” For some strange reason hundred dollar bills never feel “churched out.” I guess that is one reason why churches are filled with poor people like you and me, who only have one dollar bills to drop in the collection plate. Riches and royalty usually make us feel like running away from religion because we’re afraid we’ll lose them. But should they?

Today’s feast of the Epiphany, however, shows us that does not always have to be the case. All are welcome to worship Jesus, rich and poor alike, hundred dollar bills and one dollar bills. Three kings from the east – and mind you being “kings” meant they were both rich and royal – come to pay homage to the newborn King Jesus, and they leave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Those were definitely hundred dollar gifts. But I think the three kings intuited something important about Jesus kingship that made it easy for them for find Jesus, but hard for Herod, namely, Jesus’ kingdom was not going to be militaristic or material or monetary. Rather, his kingdom would be heavenly, spiritual and peaceful.

Jesus explained this explicitly to Pilate in his private interrogation. In John 18:36, Jesus said: “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom did belong to this world, my attendants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not here.” In other words, Jesus had come to be king of their hearts, not of their hedge funds. This is precisely the point that King Herod tragically missed. He thought Jesus had come to replace him as king of Judea, but in fact Jesus had come to release him from his slavery to sin. The three kings from the east came to Christ confidently, because they knew he did not want their crown but their conscience.

My friends, ask yourself today and indeed, everyday: do things like riches and royalty (or even the lack of these) help or hinder your relationship with the Lord? Is it easier for a hundred dollar bill to find Jesus or for a one dollar bill; do paupers find God faster then princes do? Let me give you three ways to approach this thorny topic so you can find the King of kings who is crowned with thorns not crowned on a throne.

First of all, Jesus was born into a poor family, he eked out a living as a laborer (a carpenter), he spent three years as an itinerant preacher, and he finally died an ignominious death on a cross as a common criminal. I often tell young couples in marriage preparation, who typically start life with little money: “Well, at least you know she doesn’t love you for your money!” Jesus did not want us to marry him for his money so he did not have any. Jesus wants all to be able to approach him: those with hundred bills, those with one dollar bills, and those with no dollar bills.

Secondly, it can be hard for people of faith to hold positions of power, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t try. John F. Kennedy, when running for president in 1960 said in a speech to Baptist ministers: “But if the time should ever come…when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do the same.” Kennedy understood, like the three kings, that Jesus did not want to be elected president of the United States; Jesus did not want to be Kennedy’s competition, but rather Kennedy’s conscience. Jesus does not want to take away our power, but rather to help our conscience use that power for the purpose of love.

Thirdly, Jesus would invite people with wealth and riches to give freely, generously, and cheerfully, not because they felt guilt or coercion or manipulation. Give because you want to, not because you have to. Don’t be like the pastor who every Sunday put all the collection money in one basket and prayed: “Lord, I am going to throw this money in the air. You keep what stays up, and if anything falls back down, I’ll keep that.” Don’t cut a deal with your donations to God. Instead, we give to church and charity because we realize it all belongs to God and we only get to use it briefly. We give nothing to God that is not already his, both the hundred dollar bills and the one dollar bills, both the crown and the conscience.

One lesson we can learn on this feast of the Epiphany is that earthly riches and earthly royalty can walk hand-in-hand with the heavenly King of kings. Why? Well, because in the final analysis, Jesus only wants your conscience, not your crown. He knows which of those two will last forever.

Praised be Jesus Christ!